Knitting-machine.



Lom'rs.

R. HUTGHINSON. KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 13110.14, 1910. v Patented Mar. 26,v 1912. C I Mums-4mm 1.

RHUTGHINSQN.

. KNITTING MACHINE.

y l 'Ammuulormn91:0.'14,i910. 1,021,678.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.`4

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET z'.

, UNXTED STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE. f

ROWLAND HUTCHINSON, 0F NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND.

. KNITTING-MACHINE.

lted seamless elastic goods for surgical and other purposes and in which the shape of the a'rticle is altered by varying the len 'th of the elastic thread fed to the machine re atively to the circumference 'of the needles.

The present invention has for its object the provision of an improved elastic thread tension mechanism by' means of which `any desired length of elastic thread can bepositively measured and fed tothe machine for` each course knitted and by which the length of the elastic thread fed to a course, and consequently the tension of the saine, can be regularly and continuously variedV according to the'variation it is required to produce in the diameter and shape of the article being In the drawings -Figure 1 is the eleva-` tion of a circular knitting machine fitted with` the improved elastic thread tension mechanism. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan ofthe elastic'thread feeding rol-'ler bracket. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation o n the line A, A, Fig. 3', and Fig. 5v is .a front sectional elevation of an elastic thread feeding device tit-tedwith a conical pressure roller. v vy The knitting machine yused :for the'manu-- facture of circular seamlesslknitted. elastic goods and illustratedA injthe accompanying drawings has a fixed needle cylinder @Fig 2, a fixed ribberdial b and rotating knitting cams which are carried by the cam cylinder 1 and lthe ribber .amplate 2. There is also a knittingthread guide 3 and an "elastic threadeguide et and some suitable form 'of work take up rollers v5 which inthe draw ing are shown driven from the machine driving shaft and pulldown the -worki by the weight ofthe rollers and connected parts.` The parts ofthe machine above dei' scribedare constructed, arranged, and operated 1n substantially the samemairner ,as

Speeication'of Letters Patent. i

' Application led- December 14, 1910. Serial No. 597,266.

the corresponding parts of other circular rib knitting machines used for the production vof knitted seamless elastic goods.

For the purpose of this invention the niachine is provided with a conical elastic thread feed roller 8 which is itted to rotate about a horizontal axis and has bearings in' arms G and 7 which are attached to andl rotate with the cam cylinder 1, and for rotating `the roller 8 on its own axis it is geared by the toothed gear Wheels 9, 10, 11',

`to a toothed gear vwheel 12 which is fixed upon the machine framework. The arms 6 and 7 also carry a fixed guide rod 15 which is parallel with the surface of the roller 8 'and a screw 16 which is parallel with the `to slide on the rodl, and tappedvto form a nutI for the screw 16, there is a feed roller bracket 20, Figs. l and 3. The inside of this bracketcarries a pivoted frame 21 in which is mounted the axle `for the pressure feed roller 22, and this roller is pressed upon the surface of the conical roller 8 by a spring 23, the tension of which canv be adjusted by means of a screw in the bracket20. The feed roller 22 may be parallelas shown in Figs. 8 and eter a conical roller as shown: in' Fig. 5 may be used, and there are guide eyes 24 by which the elastic thread o is held in position between the rollers 8 and 22 and is traversed with the roller 22- over the surface of the conical roller 8. i

Iii the manufacture of knitted elastic -h'osie'ry on machines of the'kind herein referred to, the elastic thread is laid into the work ahd held therein by knitted loops formed Patentea'iwar. 2c, 1912.

from the knitting threads and if the length vof the elastic thread fed to the needlesA for each" course knitted is the sameas thecircumference of the needles then-the" article produced is approximately the same diameter as theneedle cylinder. kIf however. the `length of elastic threadv is stretched as fit vis laid or knitted into the coursenthen4 after the fabric has left the needles the elast-ic thread contracts and thus reduce'splthediameter ofthe fabric produce` L" --In'the machine shown in the drawings thepelastic thread is fed by the frictional contact between the conical lroller 8 and the ,feedy roller 22 .and

los

.byvaryng the positionof the roller 22 rela- Y tively to the endsof the roller 8, the length of the elastic thread fed to each course is variedand consequently the diameter of the fabric produced is also varied, and in order that these variations may be produced Without affecting the evenness and the regularity of the work it is necessarv that the length of the elastic thread be varied regularly and automatically Withoutl having to stop the machine. For this-purpose the screw 16 is geared to the oppositely handed ratchet Wheels 17 and 18 and for` actuating these Wheels the machine is provided with ratchet clawkers 25 and 35.

The clawker 25 is pivoted on a bracket 26 provided With set screws for limiting its motion and it is normally held clear of the path of the Wheel 17 by a spring 27. This clawker, 25, is connected by a spring 28 to a pattern lever 291Which is suitably pivoted and operated by pattern bits 30 on a chain 31. The clawker 35, for operating the wheel which has a cam-shaped end and is actu! 18 is formed on or constitutes part of a lever 34 which is pivoted at 53 on a bracket 36 and is operated from pattern bits 30a :on the chain 31. These bits operate upon one end of a pattern lever 37 pivoted in abracket and held in Working position by a' spring 54. The other end of the lever 37 engages With'and operates a lever 38, pivotally supported at 5l, and which in turn acts upon ated by the head of the axle on Which the Wheel ll is mounted or in any other suitable manner, and the chain is held tight by 'a weighted roller on the loosely pivoted-lever 33.

The elastic thread c is carried by a bobbin 46 which rotates with the cam cylinder, and the elastic thread is guided to the bracket 20 and between the rollers 8 and 22 to the elastic thread guide 4, while the ordinarir knitting threads are carried byv a frame 47l pressure feed roller and means for travers! ing it to and fro over the conical roller sul stantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination with a vcircular rib knitting machine having a rotating cam cylinder, of means for holding and guiding to the knitting mechanism an elastic thread, a conical roller for feeding the elastic thread, a frame attached to the rotating cylinder of the knitting machine iii which is mounted the said conical feed roller, means for turning the said roller comprising a circular gear fixed on the machine frame, and a train of gearing carried by. the frame which supports the conical roller and disposed between the said fixed gear and the axle of the conical roller, andmeans for traversing the holding and guiding means for the elastic thread along the feed roller, substantially as'V herein set forth.

3. The combination with a circular rib knitting machine of means for holding and guiding to the knitting mechanism an elastic Cil thread, a conical feed roller forthe elastic thread, arms carrying the same, toothed gear Wheels for rotating the said roller, a pressure feed roller, a pivoted frame carrying such roller, a pressure feed roller bracket, and a screw for traversing the bracket substantially as herein set forth.

4. The 'combination with a circular rib `knitting machine of means for holding and guiding to the knitting mechanism an elastic thread, a conical feed roller for the elastic thread, toothed gear Wheels for rotating such roller, a pressure feed roller, a bracket carrying such roller, a screw for traversing the said bracket, and ratchet mechanism for rotating the screw in either direction subY stantially as herein set forth.

5. The combination with a circular rib knitting machine of means for holding and 'guiding to the knitting mechanism an elastic knitting machine of means for holding and' guiding to the knitting mechanism an elastic thread, aconical feed roller, a pressure feed roller, in working cont-act with the conical roller, a pivoted frame carrying such pres sure feed roller, a bracket to which the frame is pivoted, a spring prcssui'c device between 'the bracket and the frame, a tixcd rod for the bracket to slide upon and a screw for 4traversing the frame sulistantially Aas herein set forth.

7. The combination with a circular rib knitting machine of means for holding and guiding to the knitting mechanism an elastic thread, a conical feed roller for the elastic thread, a pressure feed roller hearingl upon the conical roller` a traine and hraishehearrymg' the pressure roller, a screw for actuating the said bracket, indepeiulcnt ratchet' wheels and elawliers for rotating` the screw 'in either direction, a pattern chain, and patitern hits on the said chain for selecting'the elawker and ratchet mechanism to he brought into operation` and operating meehanisnis hetween the said pattern chain and clawhers substantially as herein setforth.

S. The combination `withra circular riti knitting machine ot' means fr holdingl and guiding' to the knitting` mechanism an elastie thread, a conical feed roller for the elastic thread, a pressure :feed roller, arms con-i net-ted to andv rotatingr with the caiii eylii1- der and earrying' cthe said roller, a hehhin `for the elastic thread mounted tu rotate withthe earn cylinder, a serew fortraversing' the pressure feed roller, ratchet mechanism for actuating the sercw and pattern mechanism controlling` the. action et the ratchet; mechanism snhstantiall)v as herein set forth.

9. The .combination with a knitting' nia- Vehineof means for holding and'guding to the knitting mechanism an elastic thread, mechanism t'or positively feeding the elastic thread to the knitting mechanism, means tor `\'ar \'i-n the speed at which the said feed 

